[60] Surprise Raid
[2700 Words}
Bonus chapter
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The Grand Line, Paradise.
An unknown sea.
Ren had just disconnected from Tashigi after she informed him that Doberman had arrived at Alabasta and would be waiting there, He needed to go and inform the girls to prepare.
But before that, he had a question in his mind that he hadn't asked Miss System yet.
"Miss System."
No response.
"Miss System."
Still no response.
"Miss System!"
[What do you want, Humf]
Ren remained silent, staring at the blue screen in front of him, He heard Miss System's feminine voice, so he knew she was online, and it wasn't the mechanical voice that answered him.
"Sigh...Why are you annoyed?"
[Humf, who said I'm annoyed?!]
"Okay, okay, you're not annoyed, but I have a question now."
[What is it?]
"How could Nojiko use her Devil Fruit ability with her weapon made of Sea Stone?"
In fact, Ren wanted to ask Miss System about this since he saw Nojiko creating explosions while holding her weapon, but She didn't respond.
Now he had the opportunity, There was anticipation in his voice, What if the System could remove the Sea Curse from those who eat Devil Fruits?
Soon, the soft voice of Miss System came to his mind:
[That's because Devil Fruits extracted by the system don't have any side effects when consumed, and the Sea Curse is one of these side effects, so it no longer exists in the fruit naturally when extracted for the first time.]
"!!!!"
Ren smiled when his guess was confirmed, then asked another question: "Does this mean I can eat more than one Devil Fruit if it's extracted from the System?"
[No]
The System's answer was like cold water poured on him, His excitement faded, and he returned to calmness, then asked, "Why?"
[Because the explosion of the person's body who consumed more than one Devil Fruit isn't a side effect, but a law of this world, and it's difficult to break, unless you have a special physical structure.]
When Ren heard the System's explanation, he was the first person he thought of—the Blackbeard, who managed to eat more than one Devil Fruit.
But how he did it was still a mystery. Some say it's because of his unique Devil Fruit, and some say it's because the Blackbeard is actually three people in one body, so he can eat three fruits without exploding.
But all of this was just theories, nothing was confirmed.
Ren sighed, but he didn't feel disappointed, On the contrary, he was happy, The Sea Curse was no longer a problem for him.
.
At night, Ren told Nojiko that she wouldn't be affected by the Sea Curse even if she ate a Devil Fruit.
Nojiko was very happy and didn't ask why, She knew that some of Ren's secrets he didn't like to share.
"The captain is doing miracles one after the other..." It was Nami who spoke, She was in Ren's room with Nojiko, and naturally, she heard him talking about the Sea Curse.
"Rhahaha, take a rest, you trained hard today, We don't have much left to reach Alabasta, and the Marines have already arrived before us."
Ren laughed and told the girls to get ready, They would be fighting Marines from the main headquarters, where they would learn Haki.
Not like feeding cannons in Paradise.
.
[The next morning]
Ren gathered with the other girls and told them that the Marines were waiting for them in Alabasta.
"I'll store the ship so we don't attract attention, then we'll fly to Alabasta. After dealing with Crocodile, we'll focus on the Marines." Ren's voice entered the girls' ears.
"Ready!"
"We're prepared!"
"Death to the Marines!"
"Death ro Crocodile!"
.
[After 1 day]
In the calm waters, a commotion caught Ren's attention and the others'.
The ship began to shake violently, and after a moment, a giant creature appeared.
It was a giant white cat.
"A cat?!"
"Wow, I've never seen anything like this before!"
Lorena and Kaya exclaimed excitedly, They wouldn't be afraid of the size of the big cat; they had people stronger than the monsters themselves on board.
"These are Sea Cats, considered sacred creatures in Alabasta,"
Ren's voice interrupted their astonishment, He had just ascended to the surface after feeling the commotion and saw the girls gathered in front of the giant cat.
"You know a lot about Alabasta, Captain..."Vivi said, but she wasn't surprised She had become numb from his knowledge of things.
"Rhahaha, just some basics."
The Sea Cat didn't stay in place; it quickly dove into the depths of the sea and disappeared.
"But seeing the Sea Cat here means one thing..." Ren said loudly for everyone to hear.
"That we're nearing Alabasta."
Nami finished the sentence, She held the Eternal Pose in her hand and made sure of the ship's course.
Ren nodded to her and said, "Yes, even the climate is starting to shift to Alabasta's climate, I can feel the temperature rising more than usual."
"Thinking about it... Today was unusually hot." Mikita said, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"I'll be back soon..."Vivi looked into the horizon and sighed.
Then Ren quickly interrupted the different thoughts of the girls and said, "Looks like we have company."
He smiled lightly and pointed towards the sea, The girls looked there and saw dozens of large ships approaching Nanohana city.
The common thing about these ships was that they bore the flag of Baroque Works.
"They're the elite soldiers of Baroque Works!" Vivi shouted, pointing out the identity of the ships.
"Yes, I received information that Crocodile has ordered a meeting of all his clients and elite forces, It seems he's preparing to conclude his plan," Ren said.
Vivi turned pale when she heard Ren's words, but he didn't allow her to speak and said, "Don't worry, we'll continue our way towards Crocodile's headquarters, Don't forget the plan; you need to convince the rebel army."
"Alright," she nodded.
[After 1 hour]
Ren finally arrived in Alabasta, and his ship made its way to Nanohana Port.
.
Sand dunes were everywhere, and the wax was unusually bright in this country, Ren wore attire reflecting their culture inherited for centuries.
As the ship was about to dock at the port, Ren moved and concealed it in The Infinity Space.
While flying through the air using Moonwalk, he held onto Kaya and Lorena by their waists because they couldn't fly, while Nami held onto Vivi, and Nojiko and Mikita had their own flying methods.
Thus, they quietly entered Alabasta, avoiding alerting the Marines.
The seven persones blended in quickly with the people in the markets, They stayed close to each other while Vivi disguised her appearance in traditional Alabasta clothes The others did the same.
"We'll part ways here," Ren said.
"Understood, Captain!" Nami nodded, knowing he entrusted her with a significant responsibility to ensure Vivi, Lorena, and Kaya's safety.
"Take this Den Den Mushi, If anything unexpected happens, let me know, Also, inform me of the negotiation results," Ren handed her the Den Den Mushi.
"Got it!"
Nojiko looked at her sister and said, "Take care of yourself, Nami."
Mikita bid her farewell as well.
"Don't forget the location I've briefed you on, Nami, Vivi will guide you there," Ren reminded before she left.
"Understood!"
The location he referred to was Katorea city, where the rebel army was headquartered, located southeast of the kingdom, not far from Nanohana.
While Nanohana was also in the south of the kingdom, the distance wasn't too far, so Vivi and her group would arrive quickly.
But Ren's destination, Rainbase City, was far away, It was located almost at the southernmost tip of the kingdom, and the nearest city to it was Yuba.
[Illustration here]
*Moonwalk!*
*Whoosh!*
With the sound of rushing wind, Ren and Nojiko flew quickly through the sky, Ren held Mikita by her waist as she couldn't keep up with their speed, so he had to carry her.
"Look, someone is flying up there!"
"What?!"
"Who are they?!"
"Alert the Royal Guard!"
Noise spread in the streets of Nanohana upon seeing three mysterious figures flying in the sky.
Ren didn't care about them as he was already wearing a black cover, making him unrecognizable.
He slashed through the air and continued on his way towards Rainbase.
[After 3 hours]
In Rainbase City, the city was thriving, not suffering from any drought or poverty, thanks to it being the headquarters of the Baroque Works company, overseen by Crocodile.
There was a famous casino in the city center called Rain Dinners, shaped like a pyramid.
Inside the casino, Doberman sat with some Marines quietly, They had been invited by Crocodile to the casino, as he had met Doberman face to face and felt uneasy when the Vice Admiral was wandering in Alabasta.
After a small chat, Crocodile learned the Marines' goal, which happened to be his own: to eliminate Ren, the despicable pirate!
So, he invited him here, First, he could monitor him closely, and second, he could cooperate with him to get rid of Ren!
Doberman sat quietly with Hina and Tashigi in the casino, He was polishing his sword, while another Marine commander named Hisomba inspected his weapon.
Dozens of Marines from the headquarters were scattered around the casino.
People in the casino were tense upon seeing such a large number of Marines, but since their leader allowed them to stay here, they had no complaints.
In Katorea City.
Nami, Vivi, Lorena, and Kaya stood in front of a group of armed persones—the rebel army led by Vivi's childhood friend, Koza.
"So you're saying all of this is planned by Sir Crocodile?" Koza asked skeptically.
"Yes! You must stop here, Koza. There's someone who can deal with Crocodile, and then everything will be fine!" Vivi said hopefully.
Koza sighed, looking at his childhood friend, then said, "Unfortunately, Princess Vivi."
"What..." Vivi was puzzled, but Koza quickly continued speaking.
"I don't believe you, Sir Crocodile is the hero of this country!"
The members of the rebel army looked pleased, then Koza turned to Vivi, who stared at him in shock, and said:"Step aside, princess, We're going to Alubarna!"
"W-wait! Listen to me, Koza! This is an evil plan by Crocodile, You must believe me—"
"Step aside, princess!" Koza shouted Again.
"It seems your long tongue needs to be cut off"
Nami said coldly, swiftly cutting her sword towards Koza.
*Swish!*
A five-meter-long energy blade shot towards Koza, but it didn't hit him; instead, it struck his horse.
With the sound of blood splattering, the horse's head was severed, Koza and the rest of the rebels stared in horror and fear at this scene, while Vivi and the girls also looked at Nami in awe.
"As long as you insist that we're lying, I must stop you here" Nami said, pointing her sword towards the rebel army.
"Anyone with the courage, step forward!"
.
Back at the casino in Rainbase, in a secret hideout, an interesting scene unfolded.
The Baroque Works agents gathered around one table, sitting quietly, awaiting their leader.
There were 8 people: Mr. 1, Mr. 2, Mr. 3, Mr. 4, Miss Monday, Miss Double Finger, Miss GoldenWeek, and Miss Merry Christmas.
And finally, Miss All Sunday, who observed everything calmly, wondering when Ren would contact her.
She had already informed him that the Marines had arrived in Alabasta and wanted his head, but it seemed he knew about it, He told her he was currently busy flying and couldn't answer her, then abruptly ended the call.
Robin's train of thought was quickly interrupted.
The door opened, and someone entered: Mr. 0, Crocodile.
After the initial shock of the Baroque Works agents upon discovering their leader's identity, Crocodile began to explain his plan to them.
Crocodile spoke with a harsh voice, casting a deep look at everyone present:"Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas will kidnap King Cobra, while Mr. 2 will impersonate him in Nanohana, He'll be accompanied by a fake group of soldiers."
Smoke puffed from his cigar as he continued, "And there in Nanohana, "King Cobra" must confess that he used Dance Powder to create rain, and he wants the soldiers to destroy the city, claiming that they are transferring the Dance Powder to it."
Crocodile laughed evilly, then continued:"What I said earlier will be called [Operation Utopia]!"
*Boom!!!*
Immediately after his speech, the casino shook violently, as if hit by an earthquake, After the initial shock, Crocodile shouted in anger:"What's happening here?!"
Suddenly, a loud voice was heard throughout the casino, with a murderous intent in it: "Rhahaha! Come out, Crocodile!"
*Boom!!!*
Another explosion occurred, and the casino shook again, this time with casualties on the side of the Baroque Works.
"I didn't expect to find Marines here... but it doesn't matter, This means I won't have to search for you throughout the country!"
Ren shouted again, drawing his sword and slashing towards Doberman, who had already taken out his sword.
*Swoosh!*
Doberman sent a blade of energy in return, conflicting with Ren's blade. But it didn't hold for more than a few seconds before dissipating, causing Doberman to widen his eyes in surprise and say: "It seems I have to fight seriously!"
"You better do that, or you might not know when you'll die!"
Ren laughed, looking at the chaos unfolding in the casino.
Chaos spread through the casino, with casualties mounting due to Nojiko's explosives, Crocodile's angry shouts echoed in the sky, changing his plans as he ordered all agents to eliminate the intruders.
Robin looked on in shock. It was a spectacular entrance...Is this how powerful people behave? She didn't understand the mindset of the powerful.
This was just a minor skirmish; the real bloody battle had yet to begin. The elite Baroque Works agents and the cannon fodder surrounded the casino, their large numbers filling every part of the devastated building.
Even the Marines moved in, Soon, Doberman called for reinforcements.
"Kyahaha~ They're numerous," Mikita laughed as she observed the siege.
"It's just cannon fodder anyway, no matter how many there are," Nojiko said disdainfully.
"What did you say, you bitch?!" One of the cannon fodders, carrying an RPG on his shoulder, shouted angrily, then fired it towards Nojiko.
*Boom!*
An explosion rang out loudly, hitting Nojiko directly, The cannon fodder celebrated, thinking he had gotten rid of the arrogant bitch.
But Nojiko wasn't where she used to be; she disappeared and reappeared in front of the cannon fodder using Shave.
This was the Shave technique that Ren had obtained after Nojiko reached the rank of Vice Admiral. Nojiko had learned Shave in the past few days.
She grabbed the head of the cannon fodder with her hand, then used the power of her Devil Fruit.
*Boom!*
She detonated her hand, causing the cannon fodder's head to explode, He quickly fell lifeless, while Nojiko swiftly returned to Ren's side.
Nojiko's display of power left everyone in awe, except for Ren and Mikita, The Marines and Baroque Works agents were stunned by the terrifying capabilities of their foe.
"That... Shave?" Doberman Doubt flickered in eyes as he thought about the skill the woman had used earlier.
His thoughts were quickly interrupted by Ren's voice.
"The big fish has shown up, Rahahaha" Ren said, looking at the angry Crocodile approaching them with murderous intent.
The rest of the agents also joined Crocodile, including Robin, However, she covered her face and stayed out of sight, Everyone ignored her presence because it was faint, but Ren glanced at her for a few seconds, Their eyes met briefly before they separated again, and Ren returned his gaze.
"You damn scoundrel! Do you know who I am?"
Crocodile shouted angrilyThis person wanted to ruin his plans for no reason, Why? There was no animosity between them!
And what was that bitch Mikita doing with him? Wasn't she already dead? Crocodile didn't understand anything!
Ren looked at him disdainfully:"Let's stop the useless chatter and let our fists do the talking!"
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Author's gossiping.
Nothing